Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

UrFaith ("we", "us", "our") operates the website urfaith.co.za, an AI-powered Christian devotional platform. We are the responsible party as defined under POPIA for the personal information we collect from you.

For any privacy-related enquiries, contact us at: admin@urfaith.co.za

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following personal information when you register and use our Platform:

• Name — your display name as provided during registration;
• Mobile number — used to create your account and verify your identity. UrFaith does not use passwords; instead, a one-time 4-digit code is sent by SMS to confirm your number, both when you register and each time you sign in;
• Email address (optional) — only collected if you choose to add one in Settings, used solely to send your daily reading to your inbox if you opt in;
• Home city (optional) — used only for a friendly greeting, no other purpose;
• Preferred Bible translation and reading language — selected by you, used to choose which translation and language your scripture readings are drawn from; and
• Usage data — which reading types you access each day, used solely to enforce daily reading limits.

We do not collect or store payment card information directly. Payment processing is handled by Stripe, a certified third-party payment processor. When you subscribe, your name (and email address, if you've added one) are shared with Stripe to create and manage your subscription; your card details are entered directly into Stripe's secure checkout and never pass through or are stored on our servers. Stripe's use of your information is governed by Stripe's own privacy policy.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information only for the following purposes:

• To create, manage and authenticate your account, including sending SMS verification codes;
• To generate personalised devotional content;
• To send you transactional SMS messages (e.g. sign-in and verification codes) and, if you've added an optional email address, transactional emails (e.g. account notices or your daily reading);
• To enforce platform usage limits and prevent abuse;
• To maintain the security and integrity of the Platform; and
• To comply with our legal obligations under South African law.

We do not use your personal information for advertising purposes, profiling for marketing, or sale to third parties. We do not display advertisements on this Platform.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Under POPIA, we process your personal information on the following grounds:

• Consent — you have given consent by registering and agreeing to these terms;
• Contractual necessity — processing is necessary to provide the service you have registered for; and
• Legitimate interest — to maintain the security and proper functioning of our Platform.

5. Sharing of Personal Information

We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information to any third party. We share personal information only in the following limited circumstances:

• AI content generation — your first name may be passed to our AI service provider to generate your personalised Faith Profile reading. This is done via a secure encrypted API;
• SMS delivery — your mobile number is shared with our SMS service provider solely for the purpose of delivering verification and sign-in codes;
• Email delivery — if you've added an optional email address, it is shared with our email service provider solely for the purpose of delivering transactional emails; and
• Legal requirements — we may disclose personal information if required to do so by law or in response to a valid legal process.

6. Data Storage and Security

Your personal information is stored on a secured server. We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse or alteration, including:

• One-time SMS verification codes rather than stored passwords, removing the risk of password theft or reuse entirely;
• HTTPS encryption for all data transmitted to and from the Platform;
• Rate-limiting on verification code attempts to prevent guessing; and
• Access controls limiting who can access the database.

No method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we take reasonable precautions, we cannot guarantee absolute security of your information.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active. If you request deletion of your account, we will delete or anonymise your personal information within a reasonable period, except where retention is required by law or for legitimate business purposes (such as resolving disputes or preventing fraud).

Cached devotional readings are stored temporarily and are automatically purged after the applicable calendar day.

8. Your Rights Under POPIA

As a data subject under POPIA, you have the following rights:

• Right of access — you may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you;
• Right to correction — you may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;
• Right to deletion — you may request deletion of your personal information, subject to any legal obligations to retain it;
• Right to object — you may object to processing of your personal information in certain circumstances; and
• Right to lodge a complaint — you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at admin@urfaith.co.za.

9. Information Regulator

If you believe your personal information has been processed unlawfully, you may contact the Information Regulator of South Africa:

10. Cookies

We use a single authentication cookie to keep you logged into your account. This cookie is strictly necessary for the Platform to function and does not track your activity across other websites. We do not use advertising cookies or third-party tracking cookies.

11. Children's Privacy

Our Platform is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will take steps to delete it.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify registered users of material changes by SMS or email where reasonably practicable. Continued use of the Platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy.

13. Contact Us

For any questions, requests or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact us at: admin@urfaith.co.za